Chicago Cubs: 3 players who could be traded with slow start

With baseball season approaching, all eyes are on the Chicago Cubs who could find themselves back in a rebuild if they start the year off slow.

Football season has officially concluded, and congratulations are in order for the Kansas City Chiefs. Attention will soon shift to the baseball diamond, where pitchers and catchers will be reporting in the next couple of weeks. The Chicago Cubs have their first Spring Training game on February 22, still without their new television network paired with Chicago’s largest cable provider, Xfinity.

That, in a nutshell, is the summary of the Cubs’ offseason. Accompanied by the signings of castoffs and Kris Bryant‘s grievance hearing, this offseason, in particular, has been nothing short of underwhelming. The Cubs bring back relatively the same roster as the last couple of seasons, but a slow start to the year could force Cubs’ President of Baseball Operations, Theo Epstein’s hand.

As noted, the front office has made several moves this offseason, none of them noteworthy, and it would appear that they are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle. The team could quiet that noise by getting off on the right foot with the new manager, David Ross.

The most significant acquisition this offseason has been Steven Souza Jr., and he’s likely to be a fourth or fifth outfielder at best. The Cubs are about to put their offseason strategy to the test, and any sign of failure could signal several trades at or before the tradeline. Let’s look at three players who could be dealt.